Christian Foundations
DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE
by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
It was June 1994, and magazines and newspapers were awash with stories and pictures about "D-Day." Thousands of veterans revisited Normandy to recall that heroic battle and to honor their fallen comrades. These soldiers who bravely invaded enemy beaches had more than guns, bullets and provisions on their backs-they carried the outcome of World War II on their shoulders. One picture will be forever etched in my mind. It was a German photograph of a Nazi machine gunner perched in a well-protected bunker above Omaha Beach. His advantage must have been merciless. Undoubtedly, he mowed down hundreds of our young men as they sought to make it across the beach to the protection of the hills and cliffs.
I've thought often of the fear those men faced as they lunged out of the safety of their landing craft and into the foaming tide. Bullets delivering death popped the water as they fought the surf and pushed onto the beach.
Some people think that courage means having no fear, but I disagree. Courage means moving forward in spite of your fears to face the task you've been given. And that's what those men did.
Today we're engaged in another battle-for the family. There's a big difference in this battle though. It's being fought in private-in the hearts of men and women, and in the homes where they attempt, day after day, to build loving relationships.
Every day they make choices on whether to deny themselves and follow God's plan, whether to love and serve each other or fulfill their own selfish desires. And when those battles of the heart are lost, we see the wreckage-divorce, abuse and neglect producing shattered lives and an astonishing number of young people who have entered the world without the ability to make strong and courageous moral choices.
Often we approach these choices with the same type of trepidation that those men faced on the beaches of Normandy. We forget the God who calls us to hope in Him. But the battle for the family will be won if you and I decide to conquer the battlefront that is before us.
Spend time asking God to give you courage to face the battlefronts you are facing and the ability to put your hope in Him.
Discuss: What are some difficult battles you are facing in your family right now?
 Would you like your own copy of this devotional? |
It's quick and easy to register with Christianity.com! Just fill out the short form below. You'll have the oppurtunity to post comments, and be more involved in our community and forums. Plus, with this one account, you can sign in anywhere in our network of sites displaying the Salem All-Pass logo, including Oneplace.com, Christianity.com, Lightsource.com, Crosscards.com, and more!
Salem All-Pass: With one account, you can sign in on any site that displays the Salem All-Pass logo.